Elvis Rodriguez took a significant step in his career Saturday in Las Vegas.
The 27-year-old junior welterweight titleholder stopped veteran Viktor Postol in the seventh round of a scheduled 10-round bout on the Frank Martin-Artem Harutyunyan card at The Cosmopolitan.
The victory arguably is the most important of Rodriguez’s career given Postol’s name and the manner in which the fight ended.
The 39-year-old Postol (31-5, 12 KOs) was competitive in the early rounds, fighting behind his jab and landing one-twos with some consistency. He also used his feet to make Rodriguez chase him.
However, by the fourth or fifth round, Rodriguez was landing more and more punishing punches to both the head and body that began to break down Postol.
Rodriguez (15-1-1, 13 KOs) put Postol down with a right hook in the final seconds of Round 6. Then, when the bell rang to start the next round, he continued where he left off and Postol couldn’t adequately defend himself.
That’s why referee Celestino Ruiz stopped the fight, to save Postol from taking undue punishment. The Ukrainian didn’t complain.
Rodriguez has now won four consecutive fights since he lost a majority decision to Kenneth Sims Jr. in 2021, strengthening his position as a legitimate 147-pound contender.
Meanwhile, Postol, who once held a 140-pound title, has lost three consecutive fights. He might be finished.